When Benjamin Franklin addressed the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787, he said: “I have lived, Sir, a long time and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth—that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the sacred writings… Read this article by Tony Cooke
One of the congregations I want to focus on in this letter is the church at Thyatira. Most who have a cursory knowledge of these locations will immediately identify the church in Thyatira with Jezebel, an individual who grievously taught a doctrine of compromise. This corrupt teaching facilitated immorality and idolatry among the believers in Thyatira—something Jesus hated. …read more
The denigration of people is nothing new. Paul experienced mistreatment by others, and spoke clearly about how it made him feel. “We bless those who curse us. We are patient with those who abuse us. We appeal gently when evil things are said about us. Yet we are treated like the world’s garbage, like everybody’s trash—right up to the present moment” (1 Cor 4:12-13, NLT). …read more
Mankind seems hell-bent on rebelling against God and His authority. Psalm 2:2-3 (NLT) paints a vivid picture of man’s insurgent and seditious attitude toward God’s rule: “The kings of the earth prepare for battle; the rulers plot together against the LORD and against his anointed one. ‘Let us break their chains,’ they cry, ‘and free ourselves from slavery to God.’” … read more
If a Spirit-filled believer can only quote one verse from that wonderful chapter, it is probably verse four, which reads: “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” As wonderful as that passage is, is what is described in that verse really the main purpose of Pentecost? We could also ask, “Was their speaking in tongues—in this particular situation—an end in itself, or was it a means to an end? …read more
Even if the Lord were only interested in our labor, He is wise enough to know that we do more work and better work when we’re rested and strong. But the Lord is not just interested in what we can do for Him. He offers us rest because He cares about us. Some of the old-time preachers were known to say, “I’d rather burn out than rust out.” Wisdom teaches us that we don’t have to do either. … read more
Of the phrase, “Ready! Aim! Fire!” Brian Stolle writes, “This legendarily accepted process of operations works universally whether shooting a gun, a bow and arrow, playing golf, or leading a team to achieve an objective. Prepare or ready yourself for the intended action; take aim on the objective and goals; and then fire, or execute.” … read more
Have you ever stopped to think about the different types of messages that are preached from pulpits? Certainly, all messages are not the same. I suppose there would be dozens of different ways to classify and categorize different kinds of sermons, but I want to look at two specific kinds in this letter. …read more
Years ago, I asked a number of pastors about the most fulfilling aspect of their work. While responses varied slightly, the majority of pastors said that they are most gratified and pleased when they see peoples’ lives changed through receiving and acting upon the Word of God. Conversely, when asked about the most frustrating aspect of ministry, the same group typically responded that it is when people “don’t get it” and are not changed. …read more
We are living in amazing days. There are more people alive on the planet than at any other time in history, and the potential for the Church to impact a sighing, crying, and dying world with a life-giving message and life-changing power has never been greater. But are churches ready? Are the laborers that Jesus prayed for equipped and energized, or are believers barely hanging on, trying to merely survive? …read more
As we traveled the Mediterranean recently, I found myself periodically looking out at the water and imagining Paul on one of his voyages. During the day when the sun is shining, the Great Sea (as it was called by the ancients) is stunningly beautiful. But at night, especially if there are rough waters, the Sea is daunting, intimidating, and not at all inviting. …read more
“Whatever it takes to get the job done” means that you are willing to roll up your sleeves, to get your hands dirty, to go the extra mile, and to go above-and-beyond the call of duty. It means that you are not a prima donna, that you are not too good to serve. It means that you are a person of resolve, determination, and conviction. … read more
Something believers need to strongly consider these days is the issue of authority, and more specifically, God’s authority. A fundamental question every human being must answer has to do with whether or not they will submit their lives to God’s rule and reign. …read more
In the past I did, but I no longer believe in food. If you stop and think about it, there is no unity or agreement in the food industry, so how could food be true? All you have to do is drive down the street and you’ll see countless contradictions when it comes to food. One place has Italian food, another place offers Chinese food, while yet another place promotes Barbecue. If you keep driving, you’ll see pizza joints, fast food places, and Mexican restaurants, all of which claim to provide—you guessed it—food. …read more
What does the Bible say about preborn children?
“You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed” (Psalm 139:13-16 NLT).
Earlier David had written, “From My mother’s womb You have been My God” (Psalm 22:10 NKJV).
God told Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5 NKJV).
Speaking of John the Baptist, the angel told his father, Zechariah, “He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth” (Luke 1:15 NLT).
When Elizabeth was six months pregnant with John the Baptist, Mary (who was pregnant with Jesus by the Holy Spirit) came to see her. Elizabeth said, “Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy” (Luke 1:43-44 NLT).
Everybody wants to be right. If you watch cable news and see a panel of “experts” debating a topic, you can hardly tell what anyone is saying as they incessantly talk over the top of one another, each trying to prove their own point. It’s not uncommon in society today to hear some vilify and defame anyone who disagrees with them, even if it means grossly misrepresenting the other person’s position and distorting their views.
Proverbs 21:2 tells us that “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes…” and Proverbs 12:15 (NLT) says that even “Fools think their own way is right…” While we all want to hold to clearly revealed truth with assurance and conviction, we would all be wise to make sure that we don’t falsely believe in our own infallibility. None of us are that smart.
I think we will discover in heaven that none of us were 100% accurate about every thought, idea, and interpretation we had. While I fully embrace the Bible as God’s inspired and infallible Word, I am reminded that even Paul said, “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known” (1 Corinthians 13:12). Though strong, bold, and fearless in his convictions, Paul remained mindful that God alone is omniscient.
When a person thinks he knows it all, arrogance and haughtiness abound. Paul said, “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up” (1 Corinthians 8:1 NET). In the Message version, 1 Corinthians 8:3 says, “We never really know enough until we recognize that God alone knows it all.” Norman Grubb said it well when he remarked: “Being human, we can only receive infinite truth in finite doses.”
A minister friend told me once about a service he attended. He remarked that the people were all very enthusiastic. However, he noticed something interesting about the overall atmosphere and the tone of what was conveyed. He said that much of what was said in the message and even expressed in the songs was overwhelmingly self-congratulatory. They were, in essence, singing and speaking about how wonderful they were. They were on the cutting edge. They were the ambassadors of God’s newest and freshest move. They were the custodians of God’s deepest truths. Under the guise of worshipping God and giving Him glory, they were, in reality exalting and extolling themselves most lavishly.
Paul said, “When people commend themselves, it doesn’t count for much. The important thing is for the Lord to commend them” (2 Corinthians 10:18 NLT). Just before that, he had referred to, “…some who exalt and furnish testimonials for themselves!” (2 Corinthians 10:12 AMP).
Gordon Lindsay wrote in his book, “God’s Twentieth-Century Barnabas,” “Some spiritual moves have been blessed of God, and then suddenly have faded away because of the presumptuous and erratic conduct of certain of the leaders. One such move occurred some years ago in America… At first we rejoiced in this outpouring of the Spirit. But very soon we saw something develop that alarmed us. Some of the leaders were claiming that they were the ‘Powerhouse’ and all other churches ‘dried up.’ They said that people should come to them to get recharged. When we saw such bold pretensions, we realized that the usefulness of such leaders could not last long.”
We need to avoid the trap of spiritual pride, and this includes falsely believing that we are always right and everyone else is wrong. Perhaps some attempts to validate oneself are really based on deep, underlying insecurities, but nevertheless, we need to remove the false props that only boost our egos and do nothing to advance the Kingdom of God. Here are some things we may need to remind ourselves of from time to time.
1. I am not necessarily right because my church (or following) is big.
Every pastor wants to have a lot of members and multitudes of people attending weekly. No pastor enjoys preaching to empty seats. Every preacher wants many people reading his books, watching his television show, listening to his radio broadcasts or podcasts, etc. Hopefully our motives reflect a desire to see people reached and impacted by God’s love, not because we want to bolster our egos or make ourselves look good or feel superior.
Further, if we happen to have a church of significant size or a number of people following our ministry, we must be careful not to assume that it is an absolute indicator that we are right about everything. I actually heard a minister say once, “I must be right; look how many people are following my ministry.” Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism all have large followings, as do certain so-called “Christian” cults. A large following does not necessarily equate to accuracy, or being right.
2. I am not necessarily right because my church (or following) is small.
On the other end of the spectrum, there are people who feel that they are more genuine, authentic, or holy than others because their church and/or following is not large. Some automatically assume that any large church has obviously sold-out, compromised, and has diluted the truth. It stands to reason, then, that if my following is small (they say), it’s because I’m ministering to the remnant, the chosen ones, and the true believers.
The truth of the matter is that there are some great small churches and some great large churches. There are also some unhealthy small churches and some unhealthy large churches. Numbers alone are not the ultimate or absolute litmus test of anything. If you stop and think about it, the crowds that Jesus had fluctuated drastically. He wasn’t right because His crowd was large at a given time, neither was He right because His crowd was small at a given time. Jesus was right because He remained perfectly aligned with His Father and focused on doing His will.
3. I am not necessarily right because my church (or ministry) is popular.
This is somewhat similar to the size issue. Every church and ministry likes to have people excited and “buzzing” about what’s going on. Popularity, though, is not something we are to pursue through slick marketing, catchy slogans, and clever PR. It’s true that Jesus was popular and that, “His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee” (Mark 1:28), but Jesus’ notoriety was based on the substance He ministered. Popularity was a by-product of the quality of what Jesus was actually ministering, not a goal to for the purpose of increasing His market share.
Honestly, I’m not against genuine advertising or even against good marketing, but we need to avoid hype and marketing with wrong motives, and we must avoid interpreting popularity (as fleeting as it can be) as some kind of stamp of divine approval. Some who thought their popularity was a sign of heavenly endorsement found out that, in fact, they were simply the “flavor of the month” among fickle Christian consumers. What I’m saying is that we need to focus on the steak, not the sizzle.
4. I am not necessarily right because my church (or ministry) is persecuted.
Over the years, I’ve seen various ministers get off on a weird doctrinal or methodological tangent, and they proclaimed that this new direction was based on a special revelation God had given them. When others did not concur with or celebrate their new course, they immediately began to play “the martyr card.” They began to use this so-called persecution as a validation that they were on the right track. I’ve heard different individuals say over the years, “Well, they persecuted the prophets, they persecuted Jesus and the apostles, and now they’re persecuting me.”
Part of the overall deception in some cases is a false belief that essentially says, “If you don’t agree with me and submit to my new revelation, then you are persecuting me.” Obviously, I am not in favor of anyone persecuting anyone else, but simple disagreement is not persecution. People are entitled to their own opinion and perspective, and if someone disagrees with me and I’m offended, maybe I just need to get a little thicker skin.
5. I am not necessarily right because my church (or ministry) is wealthy.
It is common for people to associate financial increase with the blessing and favor of God, and it can be. However, financial gain or accumulation is not absolutely synonymous with divine approval; some people have just learned how to play the game well (and some play dirty). The Bible is actually quite clear in teaching that material wealth alone does not automatically equate to divine favor. In Revelation 3:17, Jesus warned the church of Laodicea, “…you say, “I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.” Proverbs 10:22 says, “The blessing of the LORD makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it.” There are ways of obtaining wealth (crime, manipulation, etc.) that have a distinct downside to it, and those we are to avoid. As much as we all appreciate abundance and prosperity, we must avoid coming to the conclusion that the presence of wealth is an absolute indicator of divine favor.
6. I am not necessarily right because my church (or ministry) is poor.
At the other end of the spectrum are people who think that poverty is a sure-fire indicator of God’s favor. They ascetically delight in their lack and deprivation, believing it is a sign of piety. While some have commendably chosen to have less instead of compromising (Hebrews 11:26), others may be lacking for less noble reasons. Wearing a “poverty mentality” as some kind of badge of misguided honor (in reality, it can be spiritual pride) is simply not in the Kingdom’s best interest as it often takes substantial finances and resources to carry out God’s work in the earth. I deeply appreciate all who have genuinely sacrificed for the Kingdom and for the benefit of others, but a believer or minister being dirt poor is not an absolute guarantee of spiritual superiority.
Like crowds and popularity, income can vary. Paul said, “I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little” (Philippians 4:12 NLT). Just like Jesus wasn’t more right when crowds were growing than when crowds were shrinking, Paul wasn’t more right when finances were good than he was when finances were tight.
I really shouldn’t declare myself “right” based on the size of my following, large or small. I can’t assume I’m right based on popularity or persecution. And I can’t determine how right I am based on an abundance of money or the lack thereof. Perhaps one of the best things we can do is follow Paul’s admonition to a group of believers who were actively engaged in politicking for who their favorite preacher was. He said in 1 Corinthians 4:5, “…judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.”
Should we strive for accuracy? Absolutely. 2 Timothy 2:15 (AMP) says, “Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth.” There are some workers who are approved, and others who are not. We should endeavor to be accurate so that we can properly represent and portray God to those who need to know Him, not so that we can arrogantly boast that we are right and everyone else wrong.
After preaching a service this past May in Thonon-les-Bains, France, I was looking around the church bookstore as we waited for the pastor to finish visiting with the people. The titles were all in French, but I recognized some names of the various authors and one of the titles caught my attention. I don’t know exactly what it said, but I could tell it was something about trusting God for the impossible. …read more
Have you ever seen someone playing the game called Whack-a-Mole? They stand before the game board with a padded hammer, just waiting for one of the little critters to pop its head up, and they try to whack it before it goes back in the hole. The longer they play, the faster and more erratic the moles are in popping up their heads. …read more
I probably don’t need to explain the title since most people have heard the phrase, “Liar, liar, pants on fire,” but if that snippet was actually true, there would be a lot of people these days with serious injuries to the lower half of their bodies. …read more
Those two words—multiplication and mobilization—have been strong on my heart in recent times. One of the verses that powerfully conveys the idea behind these two words is what we call “The 222 Principle” found in 2 Timothy 2:2, which reads, “And the things that you have heard from me… commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” …read more
No, I’m not confused about what month it is. I know that Easter is not until next month. I believe, though, it’s important that we not only think about resurrection when Easter comes around. I wonder how many believers appreciate all the ramifications of resurrection, and recognize its multi-dimensional influence in our lives.
Our word resurrection is from the Greek word anastasis, which means a rising again, a resurrection from death, raised to life again, to stand up again, raising up. While it’s important to know the meaning of the word, it’s just as important to understand the diversity of how resurrection applies in our lives. When people celebrate Easter, their primary focus (and rightfully so) is on the past, when Jesus was resurrected. However, we will miss much if we neglect the present and future aspects and applications of resurrection.
Resurrection is:
Let’s look at each of these.
The culmination and crescendo of each of the Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—is the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. According to Paul, the resurrection is of first importance. 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 says, “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures…”
The doctrine of the resurrection is absolutely central to the Christian faith. If the resurrection of Jesus is not totally true, then everything in the Bible and in the life of Jesus that precedes it (Genesis through the end of the Gospel Accounts) and everything that follows it (The Book of Acts through the Book of Revelation) is absolutely meaningless.
Of what are considered the great faiths or religions of the world, Christianity alone stakes its entire claim and bases its entire existence on the Resurrection of its Founder; nothing more, nothing less. Christianity is not based on a set of ideas, creeds, morals, beliefs, lifestyle, discipline, or practices. Christianity may produce some of those things, but genuine, biblical Christianity is based entirely and squarely on the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Romans 1:4 says that Jesus was, “…declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.” His resurrection is the basis for all of our hope! Jesus said, “Because I live, you will live also” (John 14:19).
Most believers recognize and celebrate the past resurrection of Christ, and most are also aware of the future resurrection spoken of in Scripture, but I’m not sure how many Christians realize that there is an aspect of resurrection power that is available to us all at this very moment. What we can experience now is not the full-blown resurrection of receiving new, glorified bodies, but rather, what we might call (using the words of the old song), “a foretaste of glory divine.” Consider the on-going, day-to-day, moment-by-moment resurrection power that Paul said we could all experience:
10 [For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from his resurrection [which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death, [in the hope] 11 That if possible I may attain to the [spiritual and moral] resurrection [that lifts me] out from among the dead [even while in the body].
– Philippians 3:10-11 (Amplified)
There is what we could call a “resurrection power” that is available to us right now. Paul said that “…we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.” (Romans 8:23, NLT). We’ll get brand new, resurrected bodies in the future, but right now we have, as Paul said, “a foretaste of future glory.”
Romans 6:4 says, “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we get to walk in the newness of life right now! We are new creatures in Christ because of His power that has worked and does work in us. We don’t have to wait until heaven to walk in the newness of life!
Though we don’t receive the full dose of resurrection power now, we do have the “foretaste” of His glorious power that has made alive our spirits, comforts and strengthens our souls, and can even quicken our mortal bodies. A great illustration of this is shared by Kenneth Hagin. Having been bedfast for 16 months, he received his healing, and then, after only a couple of months he got a job pulling two-year old peach trees.
He wrote (in “Exceedingly Growing Faith”), “Each morning before sunup we would meet, and every day some of the boys would say, ‘Well, I didn’t think you’d make it today. You know, two or three quit yesterday.’ Even as a young man, Brother Hagin responded, ‘If it weren’t for the Lord I wouldn’t be here, I would answer, for you see, His strength is my strength. The Bible says, The Lord is the strength of my life.’” He also related, “Now, if I had gone by my feelings I would never have gotten out of bed! I was never so weak in my life. I felt as if I couldn’t do it. But I stayed with it. I acted upon the Word because I knew what faith was.”
Brother Hagin ended his testimony about his early work experience saying, “When we began to work each morning I wouldn’t have any strength, but when we started on the first tree (or sometimes the second) I would feel something hit me in the top of my head. It would go through my body, out the ends of my fingers, and out the ends of my toes. Then I would work all day long like a Trojan.” Finally, he said, “In the natural I was the weakest and the skinniest, but I was the only man left of the original crew. I had proved God’s Word.” Resurrection power can make us stand right now! Resurrection power can lift our spirits, encourage our souls, and bring life and strength to our mortal bodies!
We could never praise God enough for the resurrection of Christ and the eternal life His resurrection has made available to us. But we must remember that what Jesus did in His past speaks volumes about what will occur in our future!
Even in the Old Testament, a future resurrection was perceived and prophesied.
And of course, the New Testament is loaded with powerful promises about our future resurrection. For example, “…the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation” (John 5:28-29).
“And God will raise us from the dead by his power, just as he raised our Lord from the dead” (1 Corinthians 6:14, NLT). Paul went on to say, “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep… (1 Corinthians 15:20) and shortly after wrote, “…each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming” (1 Corinthians 15:23). In other words, our future resurrection is based on His past resurrection. He is the firstfruits or the prototype for our future.
“…our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body…” (Philippians 3:20-21).
The future resurrection we will experience not only gives us hope for the future, but conveys to us the great value that God places upon our bodies. Unlike the Greeks, Jesus and Paul did not perceive the body as an evil prison from which our primary aspiration is to escape. We belong to God—every part of us! Paul said, “…your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
Because our bodies belong to God, and because God’s claim on our bodies extends into eternity, what we do with our bodies now is significant. This is why Paul told believers to, “…present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God…” (Romans 12:1).
Resurrection is what happens when the life of God touches and influences everything else. Resurrection is an historical fact to be celebrated, a current reality to be experienced, and a future event to be anticipated. Make sure that you are celebrating, experiencing, and anticipating God’s life to the fullest.
No, I’m not confused about what month it is. I know that Easter is not until next month. I believe, though, it’s important that we not only think about resurrection when Easter comes around. I wonder how many believers appreciate all the ramifications of resurrection, and recognize its multi-dimensional influence in our lives. …read more
In spite of its great significance and importance, work is a word that many people do not want to hear when it comes to Christianity or spiritual things. Christians love words like, “grace,” “free gift,” and “rest.” Those are wonderful words—biblical words—and they all have a vital role in our Christian life. But work, in a positive sense, is also extremely biblical, and it also deserves our attention and study. …read more
This is not a time for the church to be passive, dormant, or timid. Instead of bemoaning the decay of the world system around us, the Word of God admonishes us to, “Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:14-15). …read more
Question: Tony, do you have any resources about the types of questions a prospective pastor should ask to a “pulpit committee” that is considering him as their new pastor?
Answer: I don’t personally have any resources along those lines, but here are some I found on the internet. Hopefully these will provide some good food for thought.
http://thomrainer.com/2013/03/02/seven-questions-a-pastor-should-ask-a-church-before-he-says-yes/
http://www.9marks.org/answers/what-are-some-questions-pastor-should-ask-church-he’s-candidating
http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/1998/summer/8l3097.html
http://unashamedworkman.wordpress.com/2009/08/27/41-questions-to-ask-a-potential-church/
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/breyeschow/2012/09/26/interview-questions-pastor-search/
